Tuesday, September 30, 2008

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Sept. 30, 2008 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] last month delivered on schedule the first production Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) kinetic warhead kit built in Huntsville, Ala. The delivery came almost one year to the day after Boeing's announcement that it would transfer its missile defense production work from Anaheim, Calif., to Huntsville.

The placement of the SM-3 production work in Huntsville expands production capability and co-locates Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense production with similar missile defense activities. Boeing received approval from the Missile Defense Agency and the U.S. Navy to begin SM-3 kinetic warhead production in the newly reconfigured Huntsville facility following a successful mission readiness review in June 2008.

"The Boeing team is very proud of this accomplishment," said Debra Rub, Weapons Programs vice president for Boeing. "Establishing a new, Lean production line presents many challenges, but the focus and dedication of this team ensured that our warfighters will have the reliable and accurate weapons they need."

Boeing has partnered with Raytheon on Aegis SM-3 development since 1996 and is under subcontract to integrate and test the kinetic warhead avionics, guidance and control hardware and software, as well as the ejection subsystem.

Boeing is the largest aerospace company in Alabama. Today, the work force of more than 3,000 employees performs leading-edge work on a broad array of key space and defense programs, including Ground-based Midcourse Defense, Ares I, International Space Station, Avenger, Arrow and PAC-3 Missile.